Atari revealed today a new set of 50th Anniversary collectible cartridges for the Atari 2600: Warlords and Super Breakout. Available now for preorder through the official Atari XP website and Limited Run Games, the two new cartridges feature striking, reimagined artwork on the front labels and are adorned with an acrylic logo on the top of the cartridges that light up when being played. The cartridges will ship in newly designed boxes that are inspired by the colorful and iconic packaging of the original Atari 2600 games.
Created by renowned developer Carla Meninsky and touted as “one of the best video games of all time” by Game Informer, Warlords was the game that famously “guaranteed every Atari 2600 household had four controllers.” It took the mechanics of PONG and Breakout and twisted them into an intense, small-screen brawler. In the game, you destroy your enemy’s castle by firing shots through their shield. When a hit lands, part of their castle wall is destroyed and the next goal is to break down the barrier enough to reach the enemy Warlord. One hit to the castle keep’s Warlord and that player is out for the round.
Warlords’ competitive gameplay made it the fabled “original game to inspire playful trash-talking” amongst its four-person playgroup, especially in its initial coin-op arcade format. Rereleased on multiple platforms all the way through to the Xbox 360, Warlords is coined as the first title to bring team-based gaming into the home, redefining what co-op video game experiences could be and paving the way for the modern competitive gaming scene.
Super Breakout gave fans of the original brick-breaker improved sound and color, and a huge expansion of gameplay. The game introduced three new play modes: Progressive, Cavity, and Double Down, all of which challenged players’ reflexes and invited new strategy executions and tactical decision-making, especially with three balls unleashed at once in Cavity mode.
Developed by Carol Shaw and Nick Turner and known by different titles in international markets, Super Breakout was also initially released as a coin-op arcade title but was ported to the Atari 8-bit, 2600, 5200, ST, and in the late 1990s, made an appearance on the popular Gameboy handheld. Super Breakout’s cross-generational lifespan is a prime example of the universal appeal of Atari titles from the Golden Era of Gaming.
Atari XP cartridges are manufactured to exacting standards from all new parts and materials, with beveled edges to prevent pin damage, strong gold-plated connectors, and identical power draw to the originals. The Warlords and Super Breakout 50th Anniversary Atari 2600 cartridges are a chance to own special, limited edition versions of two titles cited as the “Top 100 Games of All Time.”
Learn more about the Atari XP initiative and follow stories about the many included games’ inception, visit the official website. Preorder now on Limited Run Games.
Related: Atari’s Yars: Recharged Now Out for Consoles, PC, and Stadia
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